30 Life Lessons From A Fresh 30 Year Old

Today is a weird day for me.Today is different because today I had to wave goodbye to the safety of my twenties and soon I will be kicking back a shot of whiskey to welcome in my thirties. Que the orthopedic shoes, old-lady walker, and ominous music.

It is an age that sounds so strange and foreign. When you are taking that big leap into your twenties, you feel like you have endless opportunities to look forward to. You are in your prime and feel like you can do anything with your life. But when you hit thirty, it feels as though you are in crisis mode, wondering where did your life go and how have you not managed to be able to accomplish all that you thought you could have by now. There is also a somberness to the moment. A coming of peace, if you will, that you have kind of finally made it to adulthood.

And with that age comes wisdom. Here are thirty essential life lessons that I have learned over the past thirty years:

1. Smile every chance you can.
2. Not everyone is going to like you and that’s okay.
3. It is never too late to be the person that you want to be.
4. Don’t take life too seriously.
5. Embrace the negativity and the haters; It will keep you motivated.
6. Don’t ever stop when someone tells you that you can’t.
7. It is okay to say goodbye to someone that isn’t adding value to your life.
8. Don’t follow in the wrong footsteps; Allow yourself to form your own opinion.
9. Put your phone down – Live in the moment as much as possible.
10. Fall in love every chance you can; It’s worth the heartbreak.
11. Never stop getting excited about the little things.
12. Embrace all of the beauty that you can find in the world.
13. Don’t be afraid to cry; Happy tears, ugly cry. Doesn’t matter. Let it flow.
14. Do whatever makes you happy (Legally).
15. Never stop believing that anything is possible.
16. To quote my girl Ellen D, “Be kind to one another.”
17. Appreciate the ones that you have and make time for the ones who count.
18. Read! Don’t pass up an opportunity to learn something new.
19. Never let your past hold you back from creating a beautiful future.
20. Don’t let someone’s opinion stop you from being yourself.
21. Be open to any and all opportunities (Only legal opportunities).
22. Always look for the positive side to the situation.
23. Remain humble; Someone is always worse off than you.
24. Don’t be too hard on yourself; You are doing the best that you can.
25. Believe in people; They are good for the most part.
26. When you have the chance and resources, help someone.
27. Don’t listen to societies exceptions of where you “should” be.
28. Try to make the world better than when you came into it.
29. Change can be a good thing; Stop being afraid of it.
30. Age is just a damn number; Don’t let it stop you.

While some of these “life lessons” may seem obvious, sometimes you just need that reminder to keep you going with them. The more that you live by these, the better you will feel about getting older and about your life in general. I can’t help you to feel comfortable in your own shoes when you hit that big 3-0, but I can tell you that it isn’t as bad as some make it out to be. Hold your head high and be proud that you have come this far!

Featured Image via Unsplash.